Printing press



C. DEAN PRINTING PRESS March 4, 1930.

Filed Aug. 1, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l llllllllllllilllll n I 1 ||||||||||||||||||||l ||||||l||||||||| I n venior. Clyde Dean Witnesses His A itorfley C. DEAN PRINTING PRESS Match '4, 1930' Filed Aug. 1, 1928 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 In vemor Clyde flean.

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H15 Attorney means and methods fori'nulti-water color Patented Mar. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES CLYDE DEAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS PRINTING PRESS Application filed August 1, 1928. Serial No. 296,656.

My invention in general relates to 'printin presses and more particularly to improved printing.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind described whereby multiwater color printing is achieved while overcoming the disadvantages heretofore inherent in mechanisms of this nature.

Another object is to provide an independently operated adjustable device adapted to be detachably connected'to standard printing'pre'sses which are thereby equipped to print inwater colors, if desired, with a great saving of time and labor.

As is well known, printing with oil colors presents no difficulties in the art, due to the fact that by reason of their comparatively slow drying properties these oil colors can be applied at leisure, there being no necessity for haste in the various processes of printing. However when printing with water colors,

' whichdry rapidly, it is essential that the elements coacting with the printing rollers be kept moistened with the colors s'ufliciently long to correctly carry out their appropriate functions. Quick, action, therefore, in

view of the rapid drying of the water colors alluded tofiis necessary, this being achieved by the hereinafter described method and mechanism whereby the impressing of the colors is expeditiously accomplished. Up to thepresent time printing with water colors has been accomplished only, at the expense of considerable time "and labor, the time alone running into periods in excess of a week. By

the device herein described and illustrated,

I amenabled to effect a great saving of time and labor in making water color prints, the meansand methods for accomplishing the objects pointed out now being described in the hereinafter specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my invention as applied to a conventional printing press. v I

Figure 2 is a top plan view of one of the roller adjusting means of my novel attachment. I

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the device, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of my novel attachment, parts of the attached printing press being broken away.

WVith more particular reference to the drawings wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts of the preferred form of my invention, 9 designates the frame of a conventional printing press, secured to a base 10. Pivotally mounted on the frame is the shaft 11, secured to the power operated wheel 12, having a crank portion 13, to which is secured an arm 14, connected at its other end to the rockingly mounted bed 15 supporting the platen 16. Also secured to the shaft 11 are a pair of arms 19 and 20 t0 the ends of which are resiliently secured by springs 21, the supporting rollers 22, these latter being adapted to ride over the tracks 23. The rollers 22 form the supporting means for the inking rollers 25, 26. The above recited details form no part of my invention, being conventional to the art. The aforegoing description, however will serve to more clearly set forth the manner in which my invention, now to be described, is attached to the frame of the ordinary printing press.

' My invention comprises a pair of slotted depending arms 27, 28, which are attached to the sides of the frame 9 by screw bolts 29, 30, passed through corresponding slots 29, 30, in the side walls of the frame 9, the slotted arms serving as an adjustable supporting means for the fountain 31. In the fountain 31 are mounted a plurality of rollers 32, 33, and 34, roller 34 being supported directly in the walls of the fountain, while rollers 32 and 33 are journalled in bearings 35, 36. 'The'bearing 36 has been designed and constructed with awiew to providing a means of elevating and'loweringthe roller 32 relatively to the fountain and to the coacting roller 33, which latteris not susceptible of translational movement. As best shown in Figures 2 and 5, the bearing 36 comprises a U-shaped member 62 with a pair of flanges 63, having slots 64. Slidably confined within the U-shaped member is a shoe 65, resiliently supported by a spring 66,'the shoe being susceptible of adjustment by means of a screw bolt 67, threaded in a strap 68, bolted to the U-shaped member. It will be obvious that the U-shaped member may be adjusted horizontally by means of the slots 64 wherein ride the bolts 69. When the bolt 67 is turned, the shoe 65 and consequently the shaft 50 supporting the roller 32 may be elevated or lowered. lVith a view to providing hori zontal adjustment in addition to vertical adjustment for thefountain, side straps 37, 38, integral with the arms 27, 28 and having slots 37, 38, respectively are provided, attachment being made to the fountain by the screw bolts 39, 40. 7

As shown in Figures 1 and 5 it will be observed that the roller 33 which supplies the water color to the inking rollers 25, 26, is engaged by a scraper 41 which serves to remove excess ink from the roller 33. This scraper is preferably secured adj ustably to the front wall of the fountain by means of the screwbolt 42. The manner'in which the water color is spread over the inking rollers is as follows: On their downward reciprocation the entire surface of the inking rollers 25, 26 will be evenly moistened by the action of the cooperating distributing plate 17. The supporting rollers 22 in the usual manner travel over the tracks 23, this causing the inking rollers 25, 26 to engage the roller 33, ofthe fountain. After the upward reciprocation of the inking rollers, the paper, lithograph,

etc. on the platen will engage the moistened printing surface 18 of the printing press. It will be observed that the fountain and the rollers therein are actuated from a source of mechanical energy independent of the printing press actuating means. In the present case this independent source of mechanical energy consists in the provision of an electric motor 43 on the shaft of which is mounted a plurality of pulleys 57, 58, 59, these pulleys being selectively engaged by a belt 60 engaging a similar plurality of pulleys on a shaft 61 having a worm 44 meshing with a worm wheel 45. The worm wheel 45 is coupled to the same shaft 46 on which is secured a sprocket 47 connected by a chain 48 to another sprocket 49 secured to the shaft 50 of the roller 32, it being apparent that when the motor is energized, the sprockets 47'and 49 and consequently the roller 32' will be mechanically actuated through theelements described. As shown-in Figures 4' and 5, the rollers 32, 33 and 34 are operatively connected by the interengaging gears 51', 52 and 53, it being apparent that the water color L of the bracket 55 is clamped in the walls of vertical adj us-tment loosening this set screw 56. When the plate is in the desired position, the screw will be again tightened.

As pointed out above, the chief difiiculty in printing with water colors has been their comparatively quick drying properties, this necessitating special means and apparatus, the entire process requiring a considerable period of time. x As is well known. water colors are generally recognized as superior for artistic purposes by reason of their vivid, naturalportrayal of the subjects desired to be conveyed through the medium of the printing press. It will be noted that in the present invention, a separate source of mechanical energy is employed to actuate the mechanism of my water color fountain which latter-may be-applied to any of the conventional types of printing presses now on the market by means of the slotted arms 27, 28 in the manner indi cated. lVhen not otherwise formed, it will only be necessary to provide holesin any appropriate part of the frame of the cooperating printing press to accommodate my novel attachment. 7 1

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains that the device is susceptible to wide modification and change; hence it will be understood the invention is not to be confined literally to the exact details as set forth only in so far as they are circumscribed -within the scope of the appended claims. What I claim as new and desire to secur by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a printing press, an independent fountain connected to said printing press, and'horizontally and vertically'adj ustable relatively thereto, a plurality of rollers 1n said fountain, one ofsaid rollers being engaged by the lnk transmitting rollers of said printing press, oneofthe other of said rollers being mounted for. horizontal and relatively to said last mentioned rollers.

2; In combination with a printinglpress having a frame, aplaten and ink reciprocating rollers; an independent fountain detachably connected to said frame of said printing press, saidfountain having a plurality'of rollers actuated independently from a'separate source of power than thatof the printing press, one of the rollers of said. fountain being intermittently engaged by theprinting rollers of said printing press, and means to adjust horizontally and vertically the fountain and consequently the rollers relatively to t-he'frame of said printing press.

3. In combination with a printing press, a fountain detachably connected thereto, a plu rality of rollers in said fountain, one of said rollers being mounted for horizontal and vertical adjustment relatively to the other of said rollers, a plurality of inking rollers reciproeating over a printing surface and engaging intermittently one of theinking rollers of the fountain, arockingly mounted platen on the frame of the printing press, said platen and A the material therein engaging the printing surface of said printing press when the printing rollers of the printing press have been reeiprocated to an upward position.

4:. A printing press comprising a rockingly mounted platen, reciprocating inking rollers traveling over a printing surface and ink distributing means, afountain slidably and adjustably connected to the frame of said printing press, having a plurality of inking rollers actuated from a source of power independent of the power operation of said printing press, the inking rollers of said printing press engaging the inking rollers of said fountain intermittently, whereby ink and colors are distributed from the rollers of the fountain to the printing surface of the printing press.

'5. A printing press comprising a frame providing a rocking mount for a platen, inking rollers resiliently connected to an oscillating arm, said inking rollers traveling over an inking surface, and an ink d1str1but1ng plate to an ink distributing roller operatively connected to a plurality of other rollers Within said fountain, and means to rotate the rollers in the fountain independently of the operation of the mechanism for operating the printing press.

6. A separate attachment for a printing press consisting of a water color containing fountain, a plurality of rollers revolvably .rockingly mounted platen on said frame, a

plurality of oscillating inking rollers also mounted on the said frame, said inking rollers traveling over aprinting surface, and a distributing plate to a fountain having a plu-' rality of rollers mounted thereon, means to rot-ate at variable speeds the rollers within said fountain, means to adjust one of the rollers in the inking fountain relatively to one of the other rollers, said last mentioned adjusting means consisting of a bearing journal having a resiliently mounted block supporting the said adjustably mounted roller in said fountain, and means toraise and lower the block relatively to the journal.

8. A printing press comprising a frame having a platen and inking rollers, a fountain adjustably secured to said frame, said fountain having a plurality of rotatably mounted rollers actuated by a source of power independent from the saidprinting press, means to adjust one of said rollers relatively to another, means to remove excess ink from the said another roller, said last mentioned roller being engaged by the inking rollers of said printing press on their upward reciprocation.

9. A printing press comprising a base, a frame secured to said base, a platen and a plurality of inking rollers mounted for oscillation on said frame, a detachably mounted fountain adjustably secured to said frame, a plurality of rollers revolvably mounted on said fountain, said rollers being revolved independently of the platen and of the inking rollers of theprinting press, means to adjust one of the rollers in the fountain relatively to another of the rollers therein, means to remove excess ink and color from the said another of the rollers and means to transfer ink from the fountain by means of the inking rollers of the printing press to a printing surface thereon to be engaged by material in the platen.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CLYDE DEAN. 

